San Diego prospects to start with Stars

The slogan for the Las Vegas Stars 1999 baseball team is, "Take a nine-inning vacation with the Las Vegas Stars."

A better one might be, "Catch Them While You Can."

Three of the top prospects in all of minor league baseball -- catcher Ben Davis and outfielders Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Darr -- will begin the season at triple-A Las Vegas. The question is just how long the trio will play for the Stars before getting moved up to the parent San Diego Padres.

If you listen to Padres manager Bruce Bochy, that might not be long at all.

"Guys like Darr and Matthews and Davis are knocking on the door (of the big leagues)," Bochy said during the Padres' stop in Las Vegas for Big League Weekend. "They're are going to be fun to watch."

All three were listed recently among Baseball America's top minor league prospects. And although the publication projected all three to be on the Padres' 2000 roster, that could change dramatically depending on injuries and slumps.

Matthews, rated No. 73 by Baseball America, batted .318 in Cactus League action this spring. If ex-Star Ruben Rivera gets off to a slow start -- that wouldn't exactly be a stunner considering Rivera's pitiful .143 start at Las Vegas last year -- it wouldn't be surprising to see Matthews given a shot at the Padres' starting center field job this year.

"He had as good a spring as anybody," Bochy said. "I'd have no problems with Gary Matthews starting right now. That's how good he played."

"I'll go to triple-A, get some work in and hopefully I'll be up sooner rather than later," Matthews recently told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The 6-4, 215-pound Davis, ranked No. 24 by Baseball America and considered defensively to be in the same class as Texas Rangers star Ivan Rodriguez, also could make a quick move south if he gets off to a hot start with the bat.

The Padres plan to alternate veterans Grey Myers and Jim Leyritz, and use recently acquired utilityman Phil Nevin from the Angels as a third catcher, in hopes of giving Davis time to develop at the triple-A level.

"You're getting a chance to look at a very talented kid who is just an outstanding catcher," Bochy said. "For him it's just a matter of a little more seasoning. We feel like if something happened (in San Diego) that he could come up and hold his own in the big leagues right now."

The 22-year-old Davis hit .286 with 14 home runs and 75 RBIs for double-A Mobile last year. But he struggled offensively this spring, batting just .107 in 28 Cactus League at-bats.

"He didn't get off to a good start hitting but now he's going to get more at-bats," Bochy said. "He'll find his stroke. He's kind of got a track record for getting off to a slow start. Hopefully, that won't happen in Las Vegas."

How long does Bochy expect Davis to remain with the Stars?

"That's hard to say," he said. "It depends on how we're doing, it depends on how he's doing, the health of the club ... a lot of factors come into play."

"Hopefully I won't be in Vegas for too long," Davis said. "I may not be there for the whole year. There's no telling what is going to happen."

The 6-3, 205-pound Darr, rated No. 94 by Baseball America and considered the heir apparent to Tony Gwynn's right field spot, was a Southern League All-Star in 1997 after batting .310 with 41 doubles, 28 stolen bases, an organization high 105 runs scored and 90 RBIs. Baseball America rated Darr as the best hitter for average and best outfield arm in the Padres' chain.

"He's been battling some back problems," Bochy said. "But Mike's a tough kid."

TOLLBERG TO START OPENER: Stars manager Mike Ramsey said that right-hander Brian Tollberg will start Thursday night's season opener against Omaha at Cashman Field.

The hard-throwing Tollberg averaged 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings while splitting time between Las Vegas (6-6, 6.38 ERA) and Mobile (6-3, 2.41) last year.

Ramsey said the rest of his starting rotation will include right-hander Jose Mercedes, who compiled an 11-15 major league record in five years (1994-98) with with the Milwaukee Brewers; left-hander Heath Murray, who had a 9-11 record in 27 starts at Las Vegas last season; right-hander Buddy Carlyle, who led the Southern League in innings pitched (188.2) while compiling a 14-6 record in 1998; and right-hander Bryan Wolff, who saw brief action as a reliever in Las Vegas last year but starred (9-3, 2.29 ERA) for double-A Mobile.

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